Can wrapper



March 1, 1966 p, J, woon 3,237,762

CAN WRAPPER Filed Aug. 19, 1964 INVENTOR. 21 2'! PRENTICEJWOOD ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,237,762 CAN WRAPPER Prentice J. Wood, Jonesboro, Ga., assignor to The Mead Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 390,601 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to can wrappers and more particularly to a wrapper for packaging two rows of chimed cans, the wrapper being specially adapted to provide stable stacking of the packages one on top of the other and also to prevent damage to any of the cans by the chime of an adjacent can due for example to relative vertical movement of the cans.

Many segments of the canning industry currently are using metal of a lighter weight and which is thinner than that which has been used previously. This trend toward lighter weight metal tends to render the cans more vulnerable to damage when the chimes of one can engage the chimes of another can and particularly when relative vertical movement takes place between adjacent cans. One solution whereby the cans are protected against relative vertical movement is disclosed and claimed in U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 209,697 filed July 13, 1962, now Patent No. 3,175,682, granted March 30, 1965, and owned by the assignee of this invention. In accordance with Ser. No. 209,697 a pair of tabs formed medially of the wrapper are foldable inwardly thereof along a common hinge line and doubled back on themselves in reverse direction to engage a pair of cans in the two rows of cans.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper for packaging two rows of chimed cans in such a way as to prevent relative vertical movement of the cans in the two rows and also to provide level and stable stacking characteristics where one package is stacked on top of another.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved wrapper for chimed cans having panels which are in contacting relation to the can ends and at least one of which is provided with improved means for securing the cans in position with respect to the adjacent contacting wrapper panel and by so doing to separate the cans in one row from the cans in the other row and in addition to prevent relative sliding vertical movement of the cans.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved can separating tab wherein a single main tab is arranged to hold a can against the top or bottom of the wrapper and wherein an auxiliary tab is arranged to engage an adjacent can in another row of cans.

The invention in one form as used for packaging two rows of chimed cans comprises parallel spaced apart wall panels which form opposite panels of a tubular wrapper arranged to lie flat against the ends of the packaged cans at least one of which is provided with a main tab struck out of such panel and folded inwardly of the wrapper along a medial fold line, the tab being doubled back on itself to engage the adjacent chime of the adjacent can so as to secure the end of the can in fixed relation relative to the panel from which the tab is struck. In accordance with a main feature of the invention, an auxiliary tab is struck from the main tab and arranged so that its end edge engages the chime of an adjacent can so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against the wall from which the main tab is struck.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrapper embodying the invention and showing in the top panel thereof one form 3,237,762 Patented Mar. 1, 1966 of the invention and showing in the bottom composite panel thereof another form of the invention; FIG. 2 is an end view of the wrapper depicted in perspective in FIG. 1 and showing the cans in place; FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the top panel depicted in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the top panel of the blank depicted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and showing one form of the invention; FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the composite bottom panel of the invention as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2; and in which FIG. 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the wrapper depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 is formed.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 1 is used to designate generally the top panel of the carrier while the numerals 2 and 3 are used to designate the sidewalls of the carrier. The bottom wall of the carrier is designated generally by the numeral 4 and preferably is a composite wall made up of a pair of lap panels as is well understood in the art. In FIG. 2 the wrapper is depicted in conjunction with two rows of cans designated individually by the letter C.

As is best shown in FIG. 6 the top panel 1 is defined on one side by a fold line 5 which interconnects sidewall 2 with top wall 1. Sidewall 3 is foldably joined along an edge of top panel 1 by the fold line 6. A pair of openings 7 are formed in top panel 1 and are finger gripping apertures whereby the package is carried. Also formed in top panel 1 is a plurality of tabs 8 which are constructed as disclosed and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 301,155, filed August 9, 1963, now Patent No. 3,156,404, granted November 10, 1964, by Prentice J. Wood and owned by the assignee of this invention. Needless to say these tabs 8 engage the chimes of the packaged cans at the ends of the wrapper and serve to prevent dislodgement of the cans through the ends of the wrapper when folded along their hinge lines inwardly of the wrapper.

As explained, the bottom panel 4 is made up of a pair of lap panels 9 and 10. Lap panel 9 is foldably joined to the bottom edge of side panel 2 along fold line 11 while lap panel 10 is foldably joined to the bottom edge of side panel 3 along a fold line 12. A pair of tabs 13 are formed in lap panel 9 and similar tabs 14 are formed 'ice ' in lap panel 10. These tabs 13 and 14 are constructed in a manner identical to the tabs 8 formed in the top panel 1.

For the purpose of securing the lap panels 9 and 10 together, a pair of locking tabs 15 are formed in lap panel 10 and cooperating retaining tabs 16 are formed in lap panel 9 and define apertures for respectively receiving the locking tabs 15 thereby to secure the lap panel 9 and 10 together. The structure and function of the locking arrangement comprising locking tabs 15 and retaining tabs 16 are described and claimed in U.S. Patent 2,786,- 572-Gentry, issued March 26, 1957 and owned by the assignee of this invention.

In order to adapt the wrapper depicted in FIG. 6 to receive machine tightening elements, a pair of spaced tightening apertures 17 are formed in lap panel 9 while the lap panel 10 is provided with a pair of spaced tightening apertures 18. As is explained in the aforementioned U.S. Patent 2,786,572, the wrapper is tightened by suit able machine elements which enter the tightening apertures 17 and 18 as the wrapper is disposed about the cans and which are then moved toward each other. In this way lap panels 9 and 10 are drawn tightly across the bottom of the package. Thereafter, the package is securely formed when the locking tabs 15 are driven through the openings defined by retaining tabs 16.

In accordance with this invention and in order to provide for stable stacking of one package on top of another and to prevent the chimes of the cans in one row from damaging the adjacent cans in the other row due to relative vertical movement of the cans, a plurality of tabs are struck out of top panel 1. For example, main tabs 19, and 21 are struck out of top panel 1 and are foldable inwardly thereof along medial fold lines 22, 23 and 24. The tabs 19, 20 and 21 are respectively provided with transverse fold lines 25, 26 and 27 by which the tabs are doubled back on themselves as best shown in the enlarged perspective view designated as FIG. 3. Thus from FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 it is apparent that the outer edge 28 of the tab 19 engages the upper chime of the right hand cans as viewed in FIG. 2. An auxiliary tab 29 is struck out of the main tab 19 and secured thereto along fold line 30. The fold line 30 is disposed between the transverse fold line and the end edge 28 of the main tab 19. Thus when the main tab 19 is doubled back on itself as depicted for example in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the auxiliary tab 29 is biased outwardly to engage the upper chime of the left hand can as viewed in FIG. 2. Thus in accordance with one modification of the invention as depicted in the drawing and as described thus far, the upper end cans in each row are held securely against the top panel 1 by the main and auxiliary tabs. Since the transverse fold line of the auxiliary tab 29 is disposed between the end edge 28 and the transverse fold line 25, it is apparent that the auxiliary tab will swing outwardly and toward the left when the main tab is doubled back on itself as depicted very clearly in FIG. 3. Of course when the cans are positioned as shown in FIG. 2 the tab 29 is folded along its transverse fold line 30.

In accordance with another form of the invention, the main and auxiliary tabs may be formed as shown in the bottom lap panel 9 and as designated by the numerals 31, 32 and 33. As is best shown for example in FIG. 5 the tab such as 31 is provided with a transverse fold line 34 while the tabs 32 and 33 are provided respectively with transverse fold lines 35 and 36. Auxiliary tabs are provided in each of the main tabs 31, 32 and 33 and only one such tab is described in connection with FIG. 5. In FIG. 5 an auxiliary tab 37 is shown as being disposed within the portion of the main tab 31 which lies between its transverse fold line 34 and its medial hinge line 36. The auxiliary tab 37 is biased outwardly toward the left as viewed for example in FIGS. 1 and 2. Preferably the tab such as 31 should be folded against the score 34. It will be understood that all the auxiliary tabs 37, 38 and 39 in lap panel 9 as depicted are identical. The auxiliary tabs 37, 38 and 39 are biased toward engagement with the left hand can as viewed for example in FIGS. 1 and 2 due to the stress set up in the main tab along the transverse fold lines 34, 35 and 36. If desired the auxiliary tabs 37, 38 and 39 could be disposed in a single main tab instead of the plural main tabs 31, 32 and 33. Such a main tab would extend across the panel 9 for substantially the entire length thereof.

In the arrangement shown tabs such as are disclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4 are depicted in the top panel and the tabs such as are illustrated in FIG. 5 are shown in the bottom panel. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular arrangement and that tabs such as are shown in FIG. 5 could be disposed in the top panel and those such as are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 could be utilized in both the top and bottom panels and likewise tabs such as are shown in FIG. 5 could be formed in both the top and bottom panels.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, the invention is not limited thereto and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In combination, a panel, a pair of chimed cans each having one end thereof in fiat engagement with said panel,

a main tab adjoined to said panel along a hinge line, said main tab being disposed between said cans and being doubled back on itself along a transverse fold line and with its end edge in engagement with the chime of one of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said panel, and an auxiliary tab struck out of said main tab and arranged so that its end edge engages the chime of the other of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said panel.

2. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chimed cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising generally parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form a tubular structure, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the packaged cans, a main tab foldably joined to one of said parallel walls along a medial hinge line and foldable inwardly of the wrapper and between a pair of adjacent cans each of which is in a different one of said rows of cans, said main tab being doubled back on itself along a transverse fold line and with its end edge in engagement with the chime of one of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall, and an auxiliary tab struck out of said main tab and arranged so that its end edge engages the chime of the other of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall.

3. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chimed cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising generally parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form a tubular structure, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the pack aged cans, a main tab foldably joined to one of said parallel walls along a medial hinge line and foldable inwardly of the wrapper and between a pair of adjacent cans each of which is in a different one of said rows of cans, said main tab being doubled back on itself along a transverse fold line and with its end edge in engagement with the chime of one of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall, and an auxiliary tab struck out of said main tab and disposed with its end edge in close proximity to said one parallel wall and spaced therefrom by a slight distance approximately the space between the end edge of said main tab and said one parallel wall thereby to engage the chime of the other of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall.

4. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chimed cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising generally parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form a tubular structure, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the packaged cans, a main tab foldably joined to one of said parallel walls along a medial hinge line and foldable inwardly of the wrapper and between a pair of adjacent cans each of which is in a dilferent one of said rows of cans, said main tab being doubled back on itself along a transverse fold line and with its end edge in engagement with the chime of one of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall, and an auxiliary tab struck out of said main tab and foldably joined thereto along a hinge line which is generally parallel to said transverse fold line and which is disposed between said transverse fold line and the end edge of said main tab, said auxiliary tab being arranged so that its end edge engages the chime of the other of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall.

5. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chimed cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising generally parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form a tubular structure, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the packaged cans, a main tab foldably joined to one of said parallel walls along a medial hinge line and foldable inwardly of the wrapper and between a pair of adjacent cans each of which is in a different one of said rows of cans, said main tab being doubled back on itself along a transverse fold line and with its end edge in engagement with the chime of one of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall, and an auxiliary tab struck out of said main tab and disposed between said medial fold line and said transverse fold line, said auxiliary tab being arranged so that its end edge engages the chime of the other of said cans so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said one parallel wall and said auxiliary tab being biased toward said other can by the stress established due to the doubling of said main tab back on itself along said transverse fold line.

6. A wrapper for packaging two rows of chimed cans whose axes are disposed in substantially parallel relation, said wrapper comprising parallel top and bottom walls interconnected by spaced side walls to form a tubular structure, one of said parallel walls being formed of a pair of lap panels secured together in overlapping relation to form a composite wall, the parallel top and bottom walls being approximately as wide as twice the diameter of the cans to accommodate the two rows and being disposed in contacting generally parallel relation to the ends of the packaged cans, a plurality of main tabs foldably joined to the end edge of the inner one of said lap panels along fold lines which are parallel to the sides of said composite panel and medially thereof, said main tabs being foldable inwardly and between adjacent cans in different ones of said rows of cans, said main tabs being doubled back on themselves along transverse fold lines with their end edges in engagement respectively with the chime of an adjacent can in one row so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said composite wall, and a plurality of auxiliary tabs struck out of said main tabs respectively and each arranged with its end edge in engagement with the chime of an adjacent can in the other row so as to hold the adjacent end thereof against said composite panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A PANEL, A PAIR OF CHIMED CANS EACH HAVING ONE END THEREOF IN FLAT ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PANEL, A MAIN TAB ADJOINED TO SAID PANEL ALONG A HINGE LINE, SAID MAIN TAB BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID CANS AND BEING DOUBLED BACK OF ITSELF ALONG A TRANSVERSE FOLD LINE AND WITH ITS END EDGE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CHIME OF ONE OF SAID CANS SO AS TO HOLD THE ADJACENT END THEREOF AGAINST SAID PANEL, AND AN AUXILIARY TAB STRUCK OUT OF SAID MAIN TAB AND ARRANGED SO THAT ITS END EDGE ENGAGES THE CHIME OF THE OTHER OF SAID CANS SO AS TO HOLD THE ADJACENT END THEREOF AGAINST SAID PANEL. 